“What are you doing here?” She asked, sitting up on the bed, so she was face to face with Callum.
“I needed to see you,” he whispered as he reached up, softly brushing her cheek with his fingertips. “I needed to know my girl was okay.”
“I’m okay,” Georgie replied with a sleepy smile. “Better now.”
“Why were you so upset?” Callum asked, looking into her eyes.
“Honestly,” Georgie replied knowing that wasn’t entirely true. “I don’t know.”
“But we’re good, right?” Callum asked, giving her a questioning look. “You’re still sure about us?”
“We’re good,” Georgie assured him with a smile. She leaned forward, kissing his lips.
“Good,” Callum breathed against her mouth, as he moved forward, pushing her back down onto her pillows. He leaned up and undid his tie, then removed his jacket. “And just so you know, I’m spending the night right here, with you in my arms.”
“But…” Georgie began to protest, but Callum stopped her.
“I will leave before Macy wakes,” he assured her. “I promise. But tonight, tonight I need to have you in my arms. I was so worried today. I thought that I might lose you. That’s why I came home. The moment my meeting was over, I headed back to the plane, and came straight home.”
“You will never lose me, Callum,” Georgie promised him, as she watched him undo his shirt, before he slipped it off, and threw it to the floor. Leaning back down over Georgie, he gave her a pleading look.
“Please tell me I can stay with you tonight?” Callum pleaded, looking down into Georgie’s eyes.
Georgie didn’t reply. Instead, she reached up and softly touched his face, before she kissed him harder, pulling him down to her. She wanted him to stay all night too. She wanted him, nothing else.
Chapter 21
Callum woke slowly, smiling when he felt Georgie’s naked body pressed against his. He slipped his arms around her, drawing her closer to him as he buried his face in her hair. He breathed in her scent, instantly he could felt his cock grow harder. He could have never imagined he could ever be this addicted to another human being, but he was; truly and completely.
She moved slowly, as Callum push himself against her bottom, letting her feel his morning wood.
“Good morning, Beautiful,” Callum breathed out against her ear.
“Morning, Daddy,” Macy’s little voice crashed into Callum’s head. He instantly opened his eyes and found a pouting Macy’s looking at him and Georgie.
OH FUCK! He thought to himself, but he quickly forced a smile on his face.
“Hey, Sweetheart,” Callum said, acutely aware he was very naked. “What are you doing up?”
“I’m hungry,” she grumbled, pinning him with an unimpressed look. “You had a sleepover with Georgie!”
“I know,” Callum said, having no clue what to say to his little girl. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Suddenly Georgie tensed, and Callum knew she was now awake, too.
“Georgie,” Macy said, turned her attention to Georgie now. “Why did Daddy sleepover in your bed?”
“Hey, Macy,” Georgie said, and Callum could hear the panic in her voice. “Are you okay, Sweetie?”
“I want to sleepover in Georgie’s bed too,” Macy pouted, once more giving Callum an unimpressed look.
“How about we go make pancakes instead?” Callum asked, going for a distraction tactic.
“Banana pancakes?” Macy bargained still glaring at him, clearly unimpressed that she had been left out of a sleepover.
“Banana pancakes sounds yummy,” Callum said, trying his hardest not to laugh at the look of disgust on his daughter’s face. “You know who else would like some pancakes? Puddles and Daisy.”
“Really”? Macy said, a big smile filling her face.
“Of course,” Callum replied, desperately needing to get her out of the room. “Why don’t you go, get them, and Daddy will be right with you.”
“Okay,” she said, turning towards the door, wasting no time. A couple of moments later she was gone.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Georgie cried as she jumped up from the bed grabbing her dressing gown from the chair in her room. “What the fuck just happened.”
“Macy came and asked for pancakes, that’s all,” Callum tried to reason with her, knowing she was completely freaking out. “It’s no big deal.”
“Callum, we were both naked!” Georgie hissed in a hushed voice. “And Macy caught us.”
“She didn’t see anything,” Callum said, sitting up on the bed, watching Georgie as she began to pace the room.
“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” Georgie exclaimed, and Callum knew she was coming undone, he just didn’t know why. “This is bad; this is so, so bad. She caught us. Oh my God! Did you see her face? She looked mad. She must be so confused…”
He climbed from the bed and hurried towards Georgie. Taking hold of her arms, he turned her to face him.
“Breathe,” he instructed her in a calm, soothing voice. “Everything is going to be okay.”
She looked up into his eyes, tears dancing in hers.
“Georgie, talk to me,” he pleaded, but she didn’t reply. Instead, she just stared at him, with a look in her eye he had never seen before.
“What is it?” Callum asked, giving her a worried look. “What is it you’re afraid of?”
“I’m afraid you will stop wanting me,” she whispered, as tears spilled down her face. “That you will find someone else…”
“Like Shane did?” Callum asked, finally figuring it out what she was so afraid of. “Georgie, how could you ever think I would want anyone but you? I love you.”
“He was supposed to love me until he didn’t,” Georgie whispered, as she blew out a long calming breath. “If this ends, I’m a big girl, I can take it, but Macy’s been through so much. You think you love me, but sometimes that’s just not enough.”
“But you are enough,” Callum said, taking her face in his hands. “You will always be enough for me. I promise.”
Callum kissed her softly on the lips.
“I want to talk about this more,” Callum said with a smile. “But Macy is not going to stay in her room forever.”
“I know,” Georgie replied through the tears that were dancing in her eyes, still she gave him a smile.
“I love you,” he whispered, as he kissed her again.
“I love you too,” Georgie replied, giving him another smile as he pulled a sheet from her bed, before he reluctantly turned, heading for the door. With one last glance, he hurried out the door, and down to his room, before Macy appeared on the landing once more.
Callum quickly dressed in a pair of jeans, and a casual black top before he made his way back along the hallway.
As he passed by Macy’s room, he peeked in but wasn’t that surprised that she was already gone. He heard her voice giggling from the kitchen. Callum smiled as he hurried down the stairs.
He was surprised to find Dylan sitting with Macy and Georgie when he walked into the kitchen.
“You’re here early,” Callum said as he walked to the counter to grab a cup of coffee, giving Annie a wink as he passed her by.
“It’s Friday,” Dylan said as if that was supposed to mean something to Callum.
“Okay, Captain Obvious,” Callum replied with a laugh as he sat down next to Macy at the breakfast table.
“Someone is due a booster shot,” Dylan told Callum, giving him a knowing grin. “You said you’d be out of town, so I said I would come by and do it here, so she wouldn’t get too upset.”
“Shit,” Callum said, realising he had completely forgotten about Macy’s shot. His mind was so consumed with Georgie, it had completely slipped his mind. “I totally forgot.”
“Why are you even here?” Dylan asked as he robbed a piece of fruit from Macy’s plate.
“Eh, I live here,” Callum said with a chuckle as Annie set his breakfast down in front of him.
“Funny,” Dylan sighed. “I mean, I thought you were in New York.”
“I was,” Callum said as he glanced at Georgie, who was staring blankly at her coffee. “I just decided to come home late last night.”
“I see,” Dylan nodded before he took a sip of his coffee.
“Daddy had a sleepover with Georgie last night,” Macy said before she shoved some pancake into her mouth. “I didn’t get to go to the sleepover. Daddy didn’t even have his pyjamas.”
Callum almost choked on his coffee, spraying it everywhere as he coughed, trying to catch his breath. He instantly glanced over at Georgie, and she looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.
“I see,” Dylan replied as he tried to suppress the laughing, but failed miserably.
“Grow up,” Callum hissed at Dylan.
“So, you two,” Dylan said, looking from Callum to Georgie, then back to his brother. “It’s not a big secret anymore I guess.”
“Well,” Callum replied, looking over at Georgie as she glanced up at him. The moment their eyes met, he smiled at her. “I guess we’re not. I mean, I think Macy is okay with the fact that Daddy loves Georgie.”
“I love Georgie, too!” Macy announced happily with a broad smile.
Callum stood up from his seat; then with a smile, he walked around to where Georgie was sitting. As he did, she watched him closely, a look of uncertainty in her eyes.
Holding out his hand to her, he gave her a smile. Georgie looked at his hand for a moment, before she glanced up at him. Slowly a smile spread across her face, as she tentatively reached up, placing her hand in his. The moment she did, he closed his hand around hers, then pulled her up to her feet.
Giving her another smile, he pulled her into his arms, then he dipped her backward, before he kissed her hard on the mouth.
Macy instantly started to squeal as she clapped her hand excitedly.
“Kiss me, Daddy,” she squealed as she climbed up onto the chair. “Kiss me!”
Before Callum could react, Dylan scooped her up into his arms and kissed her on the cheek.
“But I thought you were my girl, Mace,” Dylan said, as Macy giggled. “Please don’t break my heart.”
“You’re silly,” Macy laughed.
“I told you everything would be fine,” Callum said, as he looked down into Georgie’s eyes. “Now, breathe.”
Georgie smiled up at Callum before he kissed her once again.
“Okay you two,” Dylan said, coughing to clear his throat. “Get a room.”
“Jackass,” Callum said with a chuckle as he lifted Georgie back up, before he looked over at his brother, giving him a grin. “Your day will come.”
“Never,” Dylan laughed as he looked at Macy once more. “Are you ready to get this show on the road kid?”
“We’re going to a show?” Macy asked, giving him a curious look.
“Not quite,” Dylan laughed before he turned back to Callum. “Maybe we could do this in the living room.”
“Sure,” Callum agreed before he took a deep breath. He was not looking forward to this. He hated shots, and he had no clue how Macy was going to react to them either.
They moved into the living room, either way, they were about to find out.
“She’s finally asleep,” Georgie sighed as she finally made her way down the stairs. Macy was running a mild fever since her shot, and she was very unsettled. Dylan assured Callum that it was normal for a kid to get a fever and that she would be right as rain the next day.
“Hopefully she will sleep for the night now,” Callum said, handing Georgie a glass of wine. “Tell me that she doesn’t have to have shots again for a very long time.”
“I think she’s all set for now,” Georgie replied as she sat down next to Callum, quickly snuggling into him. “But she was grand. Some kids scream bloody blue murder. Macy barely made a sound.”
“She was grand,” Callum repeated with a chuckle. He loved that sometimes she would say things that were so Irish. He liked that she hadn’t lost that part of herself.
“Are you teasing me?” Georgie asked, giving him a fake pout, making Callum laugh more.
“Would I?” He replied with a smile.
“Yes,” she laughed, as she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. “But it’s okay. I love you anyways.”
“I love you more,” he whispered against her mouth before he returned her kiss. “Oh, I meant to ask you. Next Friday, I have this charity event I have to go to. In fact, the whole family are going to be there. I was hoping you would come with me.”
“You want me to go to a public event with you,” Georgie asked, and Callum knew she was unsure of herself once more.
In the six weeks they had been together, they had gone out on dates, but it was always somewhere quiet and private. Callum had insisted that he wasn’t ready to go public with their relationship because it would cause a media storm. He was worried the press would hound Georgie, looking for the inside scoop on the girl that landed one of San Francisco’s most eligible bachelors. He was afraid it would scare Georgie away as he knew this wasn’t a world she was used to.
He was also still worried about the press finding out about Macy. She was in a good place now, she and Georgie could live their lives freely, and that was the world he wanted for his daughter. Not a life where some asshole was following them for their next big photo op.
Still, the charity ball was something that mattered to him. He was a patron of the charity hosting it. Every year, the event would raise a lot of money for cancer research. He took over as a patron when his grandfather passed away. His grandfather had become involved with the charity after losing his wife to cancer at the young age of thirty-nine.
Callum never knew his grandmother; she died when Nell was a teenager, but he loved his grandfather, and he knew that this charity meant everything to him. Now Callum wanted to share that with Georgie.
“I know until now, we have been discreet,” Callum explained, knowing Georgie was not crazy about the idea. “But this charity means the world to me, and I want you to come with me. Besides, I don’t want to have to hide you away for the rest of my life. I love you, Georgie. Maybe it’s time the whole world knew that too.”
“But what about Macy?” She asked, and Callum knew that she was worried about someone finding out about his daughter.
“We can be careful,” Callum assured her. “If we handle this right, the press won’t come looking for you. We can give them the photos they want; we can answer some of their questions. If we don’t try to hide who you are, then there is no story here for them to go after.”
“I…I don’t know,” Georgie sighed, sitting up straight on the sofa, giving Callum a worried look. “I mean, look at me. I don’t think I am ever going to fit into your world. I wouldn’t even know what to wear, how to act…”
“Stop,” Callum said suddenly, pressing his lips to her mouth, stopping her mid-sentence. “Breathe.”
Georgie took a deep breath, as she looked up into his eyes. Callum gave her a bright smile.
“I just don’t know if I belong in your world,” she sighed, as she gave him a nervous smile.
“Don’t you get it?” He asked, taking her face in his hands. “You are my world.”
Georgie stared at him, and Callum knew she was lost for words.
“Georgie, you and Macy are the only things in this world I care about,” Callum continued. “My life, my world, is right here, in this apartment, right now. Nothing else matters to me.”
“I know, but…” Georgie whispered.
“There is no but,” Callum replied. “I love you. Nothing else matters.”
“I love you, too,” Georgie replied with a smile.
“Then say you’ll come,” Callum pleaded.
“I don’t even know what I should wear,” Georgie said, giving him a worried look.
“Leave that to me,” Callum smiled, slipping his arms around her, and drawing her closer. “I’ll ask Amelia
and Emmy to help you figure it out. I know they will be more than happy. Just, trust me.”
“Okay,” Georgie replied, giving him a nervous smile.
“Okay, you’ll come?” Callum asked, just needing to be sure.
“I would love to come with you,” Georgie replied.
“Great,” Callum whispered against her mouth, setting down his wine glass before he took Georgie’s from hers. “Now, where were we?”
He claimed her mouth with his before he pushed her back down on the sofa. She was his, and he wanted to show her how much he loved her.
Chapter 22
Georgie
“I’m not sure about this,” Georgie said, looking at herself in the full-length mirror of the changing room, the following Friday.
“Come out and show us,” Nikki pleaded through the dressing room curtain. “I bet you look sensational.”
Georgie looked at the dress she was wearing once more. It was possibly the most stunning dress she had ever seen, but it was everything she wasn’t. She didn’t know if she could pull it off. She closed her eyes and wished that she was a million miles away from where she was, right at that moment.
When Amelia called to arrange for them to go shopping, Georgie was nervous but excited. She had no idea what she should wear to a charity ball, but Amelia assured her that they would figure it out.
However, when Amelia arrived with Emmy and Nikki, Landen’s assistant, Georgie’s gut instinct was to back out of it. Sure, she liked Emmy a lot, and Nikki seemed lovely too, but she didn’t know if she would fit in with these girls. A feeling of dread settled in Georgie’s tummy.
Still, she knew there was no way she was getting out of it. Nell had taken Macy and Henry for the day, giving the girls as long as they needed on their shopping trip, but still, Georgie wondered if all this was a mistake.
Amelia insisted that she would be in good hands with Nikki, saying if anyone knew what someone should wear, it was her, but Georgie still felt uncertain.
She tried on several dresses, all very beautiful, stunning evening gowns, but nothing seemed right for Georgie and she was beginning to freak out. That was until she tried on this dress, and something just felt right. Still, liking the dress and stepping out in front of the other girls in it, were two very different things entirely.
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